Fishmarket, Avenir
Fishmarket is the 18th most populous suburb of Avenir, England. A large, industrial area of the city, Fishmarket has undergone many stages of gentrification throughout recent years after almost total destruction in World War II, destroying its economy, population, and infrastructure. Fishmarket originated in Tudor times as a dukedom rich in economy due to the Lake Fishmarket, making it rich in arable land and fishing business. Its strong duchy lead to the construction of multiple palaces, and as an entity often at war with the Ambrose Hill and Blossom Hill dukedoms, fortresses. The dukedom ended in 1735, where Fishmarket was invaded in the Great War of the Southern Dukedoms, forcing the duke to capitulate. During the Industrial Revolution, Fishmarket underwent vast and unequivocal change into a vast industrial suburb completely covered by terraced housing and factories. With the highest population density of any subregion in Western Europe in 1897, the area was overcome by disease and extreme degrees of air pollution. As an important industrial and economic target during World War II, between the days of December 29, 1940, and January 18, 1941, Fishmarket was bombed for every consecutive night, with damages peaking on the 12th. During this 20-Day Blitz, Fishmarket was 94% destroyed by carpet bombing, causing a severe depletion in the production of goods within Avenir as well as cultural heritage in its Tudor areas. History Early Years with Buccleugh In the early 1400s, Buccleugh began its massive expansion into northern regions of modern-day Avenir, with Fishmarket becoming of deep importance to it due to its potable and farmable soils, and the Lake Fishmarket, a huge body of water in its centre full of wild fish, mostly carp and salmon. However, Buccleugh's influence very quickly collapsed, as the lands became impossible to govern under Buccleugh's current economy. Thus, Buccleugh partitioned, and Fishmarket became its own entity. During this time, Fishmarket underwent massive population growth with regard to its natural convenience, although a food drought swept the area due to poor farming methods, which overused soils to make them lose nutrition. The population suffered a massive famine, and most left the area in favour of Blossom Hill or Ambrose Hill, whose soils were comparably less useful, but, due to their harshness, allowed for more efficient farming methods to ensue. Other farmers left Fishmarket for the north of Avenir, which later became the Blossom Hill Satellite. As a Dukedom Fishmarket first emerged as a dukedom in the late 1400s. With Buccleugh's conquest of the north in collapse, it installed, in its wake, several other duchies as protectorates north of its borders. Fishmarket was given to the youngest of five children, all boys, leaving it — and other new duchies — independent and self-governing. Whereas the other dynasties were all brothers, their offspring were in rule by the time Buccleugh collapsed; and with lesser relationships, they quickly fell into belligerence. Due tobelow a series of food shortages and population problems, however, it was never the aggressor its neighbours would become; as such, Fishmarket was relegated to the sidelines and never developed or flourished in the same way they did during the years of pre-Union Avenir. Food Shortages While Fishmarket was an established "power" of central Avenir, Fishmarket's years as part of Buccleugh's satellite and history of poor agricultural methods meant its expanded population was essentially surviving on rations. Historians agree that this is arguably the main reason Fishmarket never became a dominant power alike its neighbours and never expanded into foreign lands. Fishmarket's southern and western peripheries were owned by the more powerful Ambrose Hill and Blossom Hill, respectively, and to its north was the Redenham mountains and hills, an area too precipitous for expansion and use. This also inhibited Fishmarket's armies, as men were too malnourished and small in population and the immense food costs of war were too small. This meant Fishmarket had to surrender much of its land to Blossom Hill to obviate total invasion. Great War of the Southern Dukedoms By the Great War of the Southern Dukedoms, however, Fishmarket had chosen to back Ambrose Hill in a war which the latter would eventually come to lose. Blossom Hill's dukedom collapsed in 1730, and under the banner of Jacob Hurst, Blossom Hill quickly became a superpower. By 1731, Fishmarket attempted to overrun the eastern periphery of Blossom Hill, to mixed results. Fishmarket annexed the far eastern panhandle of Blossom Hill (which it still has today), but its armies were halted at the main front and cut down by infantry. Fishmarket faced the effects of a famine due to its over-extension and -confidence during its annexation of Blossom Hill and forfeited the war in 1734. Moreover, the apparently-farmable East Blossom Hill land was poisoned during Blossom Hill's evacuation of the area, and Fishmarket's infantry force, which was fed in parts by these harvests, was diminished as such. The ultimatum signed with Blossom Hill imposed the loss of Fishmarket's dukedom, land, and with that came reparations. It also declared total and unquestionable allegiance to the union of Avenir. Ambrose Hill's dukedom ended in 1735, a year later, thus ending the war. Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution in Fishmarket entailed the mass rebuilding of central and eastern Fishmarket into an industrial metropolis; most accounts from this time describe Fishmarket as a "city within itself." Sprawling with over 250,000 inhabitants by 1900, Fishmarket had a record 0.1% unemployment rate, with massive amounts of industry neatly contained within its borders. Most remnants from its days as a dukedom were swept away, with large, green boulevards replaced by smog and pollution. Due to its extreme population density, Fishmarket also suffered heavily from disease, playing a part in its high population—most women had seven or eight children on average, and many of whom would die in childbirth or from disease in its after-effects. The depression of this era also increased suicide rates and decreased happiness rates. The Fishmarket Labour Force was formed in 1819 whereby all tax-paying citizens in work would receive additional benefits courtesy of the East Avenir Council. This encouraged movement to Fishmarket for workers and for business-owners, for they would have many employees. Most of Fishmarket's production was to do with metals and textiles, although the area contributed highly to colonialism thanks to rifle factories and boat parts. World War I During World War I, Fishmarket's industry shifted from essentials to warheads. Fishmarket housed the largest tank factory in Europe, where ten Mark I, II, or IV tanks were made each day, and then transported south via the River Severn to Portsmouth where they were usually re-assembled and then shipped to Belgium. Rifles and grenades were also manufactured in Fishmarket. There are no such records of uniforms ever being manufactured in Fishmarket. Fishmarket also contributed more than 60,000 men, only 12,000 of whom returned home. Many were privates and most were under 21. World War II For the first section of World War II, Fishmarket resumed its same policy from World War I of armaments come first. Most privately-owned factories fell into the hands of the Council or were forcibly converted per war directive. The Spitfire Factory, which began production in 1938, contributed more than 4,000 or so spitfires out of 20,000 manufactured in total. In 1940, Nazi Germany deployed 10 SS agents on a U-Boat to Great Britain with the intent of spying on British labour and workforce to bring bomb plans and other Nazi war plans regarding the United Kingdom into fruition. It is believed that, although no evidence has ever come forward to suggest such, some of these spies came to Fishmarket and devised the Avenir plan, whereupon the first—and only—case of carpet bombing wrought by Germany came into play. The extreme density of Fishmarket made it an ideal target for the deployment of incendiary bombing and incendiary devices, to spread from roof to roof to cheaply maximise damages. Luftwaffe shelling would be used in a second wave of bombing each night, with ablaze areas used as targets for bombers. This strategy was primely used on Fishmarket; from the first night on December 29, 1940 to January 18, 1941 more than 94% of the area was totally destroyed. By the first week the Spitfire Factory and its surrounding coordinates were mostly destroyed, causing millions of pounds' worth of damages. Due to the lack of bombing over Avenir until later dates, most of Avenir's bomb stations were shifted to London in an effort to conserve stores. No A-A guns were supplied to the city. On January 12, 1941 this became increasingly more apparent; more than 11,000 persons perished, almost all of whom were completely unprotected. By the end of the bombing over Fishmarket, the area was wiped out. Fishmarket's pre-War population of 360,000 people was diminished to less than 3,000 people. Some 49,000 were killed in the bombing, the rest 8,000 became homeless, hid in surviving buildings, or in ruins. Most of these were later expelled to the north-east of Avenir to live in prefab housing. Post-War Fishmarket never fully recovered from the bombing. Parts of Fishmarket which used to be built-up, particularly in the east, were now claimed by the Redenham Hills, which now flood into Fishmarket. It was not until 1966 that every bombed-out structure was cleared away. Almost 100% of structures in Fishmarket Est and Fishmarket Sud which were intact as per 1939 were demolished; while the West never suffered the damages the rest did, it still faced 50% destruction and parts thereof were given to Ambrose Hill. Fishmarket Nord, the Medieval region of Fishmarket, faced meticulous reconstruction efforts mostly carried out by the Civic Council, which was donated to in vast amounts from Winston Churchill. Much of Medieval Fishmarket Nord would now be included in Blossom Hill's borders as it was largely dissimilar from the rest of Fishmarket. All in all, about 13% of Fishmarket's pre-War land was divided. Most of Fishmarket's extensive reconstruction (outside of that which was funded by the Civic Council) was funded by the Lavingtonshire County Council. The plan included the incorporation of motorways with new and existing major roads, ringways, a subway, and rows of council-owned housing to house displaced persons. Retirement villages were built for use of POWs and pensioners. Most of the original planning of central Fishmarket was disused; despite most roads being in good condition, the surviving plans typically conflicted with newer iterations for the area. Thus, many surviving buildings were demolished regardless of condition. Sussex Street, the largest and longest street in Fishmarket, was rebuilt out of its ashes by the Civic Council. Southend Periphery, the edge of Fishmarket, was a vast row of Tudor terraces overlooking the start of the Redenham Hills Trail, an elevated region of cliffs and forest precipices. Out of its significance to Fishmarket, it was rebuilt. The economy of Fishmarket was all but shattered in this time. Industrial developments resumed, but never had the impact on Fishmarket or Avenir as a whole as they ever did prior to World War II. Fishmarket's biggest export had always been ammunition; but with the country suffering the effects of the War, there was never any desire to continue this industry. With Fishmarket as well as Holton, the industrial backbone of the north, totally wiped out, Avenir's industrial roots were mostly gone. The traditional plan of "rich versus poor", which was apparent between Fishmarket and Ambrose Hill, was also lost. Fishmarket had a high unemployment rate until the 1970s, as most of its occupants were inhabitants of the suburb in its earlier form and therefore were engaged in cheaper labour. In the mid-1970s and late-1980s, Fishmarket's economy suffered two stages of a global economic shift from the United Kingdom. Whereas other suburbs of Avenir could cope with the ensuing change due to tourism industries, Fishmarket had no such thing; and later, in the 1980s, Fishmarket's financial position faced another collapse due to the liquidisation of its factories. Ford and General Motors factories were demolished in later decades, and textiles industries were 50% gone by 1981. By the year 2000, Fishmarket's economy had faced a shift to housing and business enterprises. Its situation in the near-centre of the city has popularised luxury apartments and newer, gentrified developments typically aimed at a younger generation. Most ring-roads were cleared; however, existing motorways were used in a new, rebuilt masterplan for Fishmarket, prioritising a car-centralised lifestyle. Former industrial areas, which were built on narrow plans, have also seen redevelopment, replaced by modern housing and communal use buildings. Fishmarket, unlike other city suburbs damaged by the global industrial shift, is in full recovery and is on track to overtake its 1939 population census by 2030, as the 2nd fastest-growing suburb of Avenir. West Fishmarket West Fishmarket originated as a panhandle of Blossom Hill, which it annexed from Ambrose Hill after several won battles. This land was used to keep belligerent Ambrose Hill in check, scouting for any potential problems, as by this time the eastern, northern, and (now) western borders were completely covered by Blossom Hill sovereignty. However, inside of this stretch of land were several enclaves belonging to Fishmarket, which were formerly outposts in Ambrose Hill land. These fortified bases retained Fishmarket allegiance and were never taken by Blossom Hill. Years later, in the Great War of the Southern Dukedoms, it served as an important military target for both Ambrose Hill and Fishmarket, who were allied in the war. Fishmarket's outposts were easily seized by Blossom Hill in 1731, although no personnel were injured. The region now called West Fishmarket capitulated soon after, however, being surrounded by Ambrose Hill and Fishmarket, and the Duchy quickly annexed it as part of its larger territory. However, Fishmarket later struggled to capture any more ground in Blossom Hill, and ultimately surrendered in the war at the expense of its dukedom and forced allegiance to Blossom Hill in 1735. During the partition of Avenir, which occurred in 1756, Fishmarket was given East Blossom Hill (renamed West Fishmarket) after it was reoccupied by Blossom Hill. However, West Fishmarket has — from that point onward — been considered a separate region; it is included in the Blossom Hill political ward, is religiously atypical to and was never bombed badly like the mainland. Demographics Ethnicity Fishmarket is a majority-White area, although it was majority ethnic from 1979 to 1999. Since the year 2000, mass redevelopment of townhouses has lead Fishmarket's ethnic community to seek housing elsewhere, as many homes were demolished. The majority of the persons affected chose to stay in Fishmarket in the appropriate housing; however, 20% of them chose to relocate elsewhere, mostly to Colombo, which is 80% ethnic. Most of Fishmarket has been repopulated by younger white British persons; however, 30% of Fishmarket's population remains having been born in a different country, and 12% of the 70% British population is the offspring of an immigrant. Religion Fishmarket is 55% atheist or agnostic, 37% Christian, and 7% Islamic. In the Pre-War, Fishmarket was almost wholly Catholic; however, with this population expelled, most churches destroyed, and a major shift in age demographic and attitude, this has not been lasting. As continual rises in below-the-age-of-35 people are present, atheism is only increasing in the area. The few churches which were rebuilt in the war, such as St. Agnes's Chapel in the centre of Fishmarket, have been rebuilt and repurposed as civic buildings, or monuments. Fishmarket's 7% Islamic community is mostly concentrated in the West, near Ambrose Hill, which is 44% ethnic. Political The Fishmarket and Colombo Ward is a Labour majority area, and is one of two in the city, at a 56% majority. The next biggest party is the Conservatives, at a 42% majority. 2% of votes went toward various other parties. Gallery Palace_of_the_High_Duchess,_Fishmarket.jpg|Palace of the High Duchess in Regency Park (visible on the far left of the above picture), totally destroyed on January 12, 1941. The cellar was later excavated. Palace_of_the_High_Duchess_excavations,_Fishmarket.jpg|The excavations of the palace pictured in 2010. Castle_of_Zane,_Fishmarket.jpg|The castle of Zane, former Duke of Fishmarket. It was heavily damaged by bombing on December 7, 1941 but later rebuilt. Fishmarket_Delegation_Offices.png|The Delegation Offices of Fishmarket, built in 1921. One of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture, it was irreparably damaged by bombing in 1941 being situated in one of the most heavily-targeted areas of the suburb. A replica was costly built in Blithebeth between 1952 and 1972, taking two decades to complete to mirror its sheer magnitude. Fishmarket_West_Sussex_Street_in_ruins.png|The ruins of Sussex Street in West Fishmarket, 1945. Fishmarket Est ruins.jpg|Ruins of Fishmarket Est Fishmarket Est neighbourhood ruins.jpg|A bombed-out neighbourhood in Fishmarket Est Fishmarket canals in ruins.jpg|Frontages across a canal after bombing Fishmarket Ultimatum Place.png|Ultimatum place, 1880s, West Fishmarket. It was built to commemorate the ultimatum of Fishmarket given by Blossom Hill in 1734, which was signed on its site. Fishmarket Collegiate Academy.png|Collegiate Academy, Fishmarket, 1900s. Fishmarket Church of St. Andrew in ruins.png|Ruins in Fishmarket Nord-Est. St. Andrew's Church is visible in destruction in the background. North_Fishmarket,_1945.jpg|Ruins of Medieval Fishmarket Nord, 1945, facing Redenham Hills. Category:Avenir